Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1996/10/10
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]At 11:13 10/10/96 -0400, you wrote: >In terms of quality, sure, their poor QA puts them in the middle with Mamiya >and Bronica and the other also-rans. It's the low price and superlative >lenses which really pull the Kiev MF cameras ahead of the others in the >middle, though. > >My experience is limited, however: I have owned and shot extensively only >with a slew of Rollei TLR's, Hassie, a Super Ikonta, Ikoflex, Baby Bessa, >and a Mamiya RB67. I have handled and used briefly most of the other major >brands, but never enough to make a really deep impression, just a feeling >that I'd not be happy with them as primary cameras. > >Marc This discussion probably should go to the mf digest, but, having used Bronica and Mamiya I would suggest are superior because they are reliable. I wouldn't place the Kiev cameras in the same class. I think that if Kiev could get their qc up to an equivalent standard of either, THEN, it may be on par. As to the optics; I found the Bronica optics to be consistently preferable to Mamiya. Possibly, in the appropriate group, we could explore the comparative qualities of the various MF companies lenses. Brian Levy, J.D. Toronto, Ont. dlevy@worldy.com